Share This Page

Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) - To Infinity And Beyond

Gene Roddenberry was born in Texas in 1921 and was a decorated pilot in World War II. After the war, he joined the Los Angeles police and began writing movie scripts.

His script for a television series called Star Trek, was not that successful in the original 76-episode run on television but was wildly successful upon syndication. Lucrative movie deals and successor series such as Star Trek: The Next generation, ensured Roddenberry’s fortune and fame.

The screen writer died on October 24, 1991 of a heart attack.

In October, 1992, it is widely believed that a small cartridge of his ashes was sent to astronaut Jim Weatherbee, and through him, carried on board the space shuttle STS-52 Columbia, and released into space, although the event is neither acknowledged nor denied by NASA.

In 1997, another pinch of his ashes were hurled into outer space as part of the payload of the Pegasus XL rocket.

Another sample of his ashes is set to be dumped into outer space in 2012 upon the spaceship Voyager arranged by the private Houston-based firm Celestis Inc., which offers memorial spaceflight services; essentially popping out a tiny lipstick-size canister with the remains into the earth’s orbit ($2,4945), the moon’s orbit ($9,995) or into “deep space ($12,500).

Human cremated ashes can weight five pounds. For Roddenberry as with all Celetis customers, not all the ashes can be catapulted out into space, but only a:

“… symbolic portion of cremated remains. Your loved one will venture into space as part of a real space mission, riding alongside a commercial or scientific satellite.”

LAWimage

Sort By:

The template you are linking to has no template configured yet.

Duhaime Lawisms

We must not, by any whimsical conceits supposed to be adapted to the altering fashions of the time, overturn the established law of the land. It descended to us as a sacred charge and it is our duty to preserve it.
Justice Kenyon, Clayton v Adams, (1796) 6 T.R. 605

Expand Navigation

Unless otherwise noted, this article was written by Lloyd Duhaime, Barrister, Solicitor, Attorney and Lawyer (and Notary Public!). It is not intended to be legal advice and you would be foolhardy to rely on it in respect to any specific situation you or an acquaintance may be facing. In addition, the law changes rapidly and sometimes with little notice so from time to time, an article may not be up to date. Therefore, this is merely legal information designed to educate the reader. If you have a real situation, this information will serve as a good springboard to get legal advice from a lawyer.